.^Vt Bq CTR M: T<-k: i^M ^■^^^ Class _:2rrjo\_^ Book .JAJ^ Copyright]^" COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. THE FACT OF GOD. y BT EMOEY MILLER, A. M., D. D., LL. D. CINCINNATI: JENNINGS & PYE. NEW YORK: EATON & MAINS. v9^/ 1 THE LEBRARY OF CONGRESS, Two Cot^ii^a Received OCT, 16 1901 Copyright entry CLASS CUXXCn No. COPY 3. n-i[ i I I ! ■ — i COPYRIGHT, 1901, BY JENNINGS A PYE. INTKODUCTIOE". The fact of God seems an original con- viction in the human mind, everywhere found. The sacred Scriptures nowhere at- tempt to prove or even assert this fact, but always recognize it as a matter of course ; an original conviction which only needs guidance in its use or abuse. Hence they abound in teachings regarding the ^^I Am," the ''true God,'' ''the living God,'' the eter- nal, almighty, all- wise, loving, and merci- ful God, the one, only God, as against the worship of false gods. The universality of this conviction, and 3 4 Introduction. of religion, has at times been questioned, but the most thorough investigation has refuted the ablest efforts to disprove its universality. There are no known tribes of men without religion, is the conclusion of scholarship. Mojiotheism is shown, by researches among the most ancient religions, to have been the original, at least the earliest known conception of Deity. The one God which the original and universal idea of the super- natural recognized was evidently the ob- ject of the most ancient worship. Polytheism was a degenerated form of religious belief and worship. It seems to have increased as men shifted from a de- vout fear of God toward nature worship, and made religion a convenience for thrift, Introduction. 5 lust, or power. On the true principle that ^^nothing but mind is power, and can act,'' men have generally attributed all action, which can not be thought that of human minds, to a superhuman mind. Polytheism rightly held this truth, but was astray in its application by attributing the different forms of superhuman action to different gods. Many minds, especially in modern times, revolting against this presidency of various gods over various classes of phe- nomena, swept to the other extreme, and claimed that various ^^natural laws," or ^^natural forces,'' produce these various forms of action. They thereby attributed causal action to unconscious or material things. Natural laws or forces were thus installed, in their thinking, as agents 6 Introdtjotion. acting according to ^^fixed laws/' ^^self-act- ing mechanism/' phrases which stand for no clear conception. Thus the real ques- tion, What is the force which originates action and assigns its laws? eluded their mental grasp. But, instead, they clung to formulae which expressed only the modes of its manifestation. As polytheistic conceptions bred super- stitions and vile excesses, mechanical con- ceptions have resulted in mental super- ficiality and moral stolidity; have invoked scientific pretense to justify human brutal- ization. The outcome of each is logically and historically like that of the other; namely, the ascendency of animalism over the spiritual nature in man. Even in a state of public sentiment, where no one Introduction. 7 would be willing formally to deny the existence of God, the heart, which is de- bauched with the ascendency of the animal over the moral sensibilities, essentially im- plies such denial. The perverted, foolish heart implies ''There is no God." The vast perversion of heart which, in our day, finds so much in luxuriant living and conventional selfishness to flatter it, and in surface culture and scientific effort to apologize for it, needs a reminder from within to startle this heart-region with a reiteration of the fact of God. That the general belief, among men in all ages, in the existence of superhuman beings has been largely due to the effort to account for existing phenomena is doubtless true. And the evidences of design in the natural 8 Introduction. world have largely influenced the belief in an intelligent first cause; but the felt convictions of the human soul have been greater, as they are deeper and more resist- less affirmations of God. Besides, in many minds the force of the ^ ^argument from de- sign" has been impaired by the show of plausibility which the teachings of "ma- terialistic evolution," aided by stupendous guessing, have made. However strong may be the "cosmic argument," the "teleolog- ical" and the "anthropological," we con- fess to finding greater satisfaction with the "ontological" considerations which deal with the facts and implications of being. And in our view the fact of Grod, which men can not get rid of, is rooted in these, while the other lines of argument are Introduction. 9 simply corroborative. Hence, this book will consider, mainly, facts of heiiig, as also spiritual convictions arising from man's na- ture. CHAPTEE I THE FACT OF GOD. **J am, God! and surely Thou must be.'* — Dekzhavin. Facts are enacted realities. Truths in- clude, besides facts, the relations of facts and their inferences; but it is with facts, as distinguished from other forms of truth^ we would chiefly deal in this writing. Fact includes enacted realities, both per- ceived and implied. Facts which we di- rectly perceive imply other facts which we can not perceive, but which the mind recog- nizes, and which we must accept along with 11 12 The Fact of God. the perceived facts, and without which the latter can not be intelligible. Otherwise the perception must be surrendered, which is to surrender knowledge. Perceived facts are self-evident to our direct perception by either consciousness or the senses. Implied facts are self-evi- dently implied in the perceived facts, as either given tvith them or implied as their cause. For example, all human beings who have seen the moon have beheld but one and the same side of it. It was self- evident to their perception by the sense of sight. But the fact of the other side, which they have never seen, is equally self-evident to them by direct implication. That is to say, the other side is directly or neces- sarily given with the perception of this side. The Fact of God. 13 The general fact, the moon, is the knowl- edge we gain by seeing one side of it. That knowledge includes, self-evidently, both sides — the one perceived, the other necessarily implied. But this side of the moon is not the cause of the other side. It is simply the perceived fact, which has the other side given with it, and we are just as sure of either side as of the other. Another form of implication is that of cause, or dependence, — the dependence of a perceived fact upon its cause, which cause may not be at all perceptible, yet is neces- sarily implied as the cause of the fact which is perceived. And as it is necessarily im- plied, it is a self-evident fact. For ex- ample, here are two bodies, the one liv- 14 The Fact of God. ing, the other dead, so termed because mo- tion, the evidence of life, is perceived in one, but not in the other. But the per- ception of this evidence is not the percep- tion of the fact we term life. Life is the chief fact which differentiates the two bodies; but it is a fact which can not be perceived. It is an implied fact, which is self-evident, and must be accepted with the perceived facts, or these bodies can not be thought of as either living or dead. If it be not accepted, then the perceived mo- tions signify nothing as to life or death, and knowledge of such things must be given up. But such folly regarding life is not found among men, though it is often mani- fested regarding implied facts of another class. All recognize and act upon the im- The Fact of God. 15 plied fact, life, though, it eludes perception armed with scalpel and microscope. All treasure it as antecedent to all that is pre- cious in its perceived manifestations. "A dog, living, is better than a lion, dead!'^ As thus recognized, life is not merely a quality, or a relation, or an inference, but an enacted reality or self-evident fact, im- plied in the beating pulse and heaving chest. The questions of whether and how pulse and breathing evince life are matters of relation and inference, but the thing, life, is thought as a fact. This implied fact is of far greater importance than the per- ceived facts which evince its presence; it is recognized as being the enacted reality on which they depend. Perceived facts are but the declarations of their implied mean- 16 The Fact of Gob. ings, and are worthless for knowledge when isolated from them in thought. Implication is but a term which compre- hends all facts, relations, and inferences which must be thought in connection with admitted perceptions; hence, implied facts, as well as perceived ones, are essential data in practical affairs as well as in constructing a rational system; for data which we think and use as fact enter into our knowledge as fact with equal strength and validity whether they are perceived by conscious- ness or sense or come by implication. Physical science, which boasts its basis of fact, could not subsist as science, with all its store of perceived facts, but for its chief facty force, which is supplied only hy im- plication. Only by the facts which they The Fact of God. 17 imply can perceived data be built into science. We may term them truths or principles, but it is our use of them as facts which enables us to construct the sciences. It can not be affirmed that in perceiving material objects we really perceive all their properties; nor can it be claimed that all, or even many, of the phenomena of mental operations are noted by consciousness. Enough, however, are perceived to enforce definite discrimination of one material or mental fact from others; hence, when it is said we perceive a fact, it is this definite discrimination which is meant, not a per- ception of all that a fact contains. And, in the case of implied facts, it is not claimed that they force upon our recognition more than what distinguishes them as definite facts. IB The Fact of God. These facts of implication may draw after them other^ even a whole train of implications, and so may give ns a well- defined conception of an object which is not, at any point, open to perception. Hence, there are objects conceived as well as objects perceived. The former may be greater in every way than the latter, but our apprehension of them can arise only in connection with what is perceived. Perception is knowing. A question upon which many differences have arisen among philosophers is this. What is perceived? Connected with this are the other ques- tions: What is necessarily implied in the things perceived? and what is merely ap- parent, or, at most, but possibly implied? It were a weary and worthless task to The Fact of God. 19 point out all the theories which have been wrought from different views of these ques- tions; hence, it will not be attempted here. Let us be content with what all are com- pelled to admit, with what is, perforce, common ground; namely, this: we have within ourselves the direct perception of being. This much, at least, is reality. We do not have this direct perception of each other, but each for himself, alone, knows himself as being. He does from this per- ception infer that there are other beings, but he knows, positively and directly, one, and that is himself. He does not know how he can be as he is, but simply per- ceives directly that he is. This knowledge he can not deny. He does and must di- rectly perceive it; it is his perceiving self; 20 The Fact of God. Tie perceives himself in the act of perceiving. He perceives himself as a perceiver. Sensational philosophy has tried to show that this self-conscious action results from sensations externally given. But this is an attempt to show how we are as we are, but it does not account for the fact of a perceiving agent, a perceiver by whom the sensations are known. At best, this philosophy can only locate the perceiver in the sensations, and thus require the sensa- tions to perceive themselves. But in this move it does not get rid of a conscious actor, or the reality of being. Besides, when the past and now impossible sensa- tions are, in memory, called up and re- flected upon, this philosophy shows no sen- sation to which this recollection and re- The Fact of God. 21 flection can be attributed. The self-cen- tered being who consciously perceives sen- sation, recalls sense perceptions after the sensations have ceased, reflects upon them, often, acts emotionally and volitionally con- cerning them, and perceives himself as so acting, is the one being whom I directly know. Thus the fact of being comes to me as direct and unavoidable knowledge. It is the first, deepest, and broadest of per- ceived facts. This knowledge is knowledge of action — action which knows itself only in action. The act of knowing itself is consciousness, or self -perception. The absence of action is, hence, the absence of knowing, and, for aught I know, the absence of being. If there are beings without action I know 22 The Fact of God. nothing of them, inasmuch as I know my- self only as acting, others by reaction and interaction, but have no evidence of my own or any other's being save action. Thus it is seen that the foundation of all my knowledge of reality is the fact of my individual action. Stripped of every- thing of which I can not know the reality, this stands out, a definite, conscious power. This is being, as perceived; or, being as each person in himself perceives the fact. The term "being" does not, then, stand for an abstraction which some have styled •^pure being.'' An abstraction is nothing, and nothing can come of it. An acting, perceiving, or determining thing can alone be a real thing. Self-perceiving action, conscious power, can in no way be ques- The Fact of God. 23 tioned, avoided, or spirited away. Noth- ing but annihilation can rid me of it. All efforts to avoid or call it in question are only attempted relocations— relocations in sensations of assumed external origin. The science of being, ontology, properly begins with this kno^vn reality, and pro- ceeds to trace its implications and recognize the questions it raises. The mind, or soul, as I know it, is this conscious power, an acting unit. If asked, ^^What is mind-sub- stance ?'' the only answer I can give, or need to give, is. Power — that which acts. I confidently give this answer, because this power knows itself as action, knows itself as enacted reality, a constant fact. It is not worth while to ask one ^^how he knows he has a soul," for, of the few things it M The Fact of God. is impossible for him not to know, the chief is that he is a soul, and this nothing but annihilation^ non-being, can prevent his knowing. But there could be no science of being were this the only fact that could be known of being. For, when I attempt to think of only the fact, being, I am shut up to one view; namely, / am a self-existent being. Existence implies self -existence somewhere; and self-sustained being is a fact given in the perceived fact of being; and if I know nothing to the contrary I am that self- existent one. But when I think further, that a self -existent being must be inde- pendent, then I must infer that I am in- dependent. But I find, as a matter of fact, I am not independent, and, therefore, am The Fact of God. 26 not self -existent. So thought is confounded and brought to naught unless other facts of being may be known. Such knowledge, to be valid for me, must come in the con- scious action which I know as myself; hence, I search myself for further facts. TJie natui^ej as well as the fact, of the being whom I know, and each knows for himself, is also given in our conscious action; that is to say, we are conscious of an order of action in our being. This order is what I recognize as the nature of the actor, myself. For example, I know myself as acting in self -perceiving, in sense- perceiving, in reasoning, feeling, intending, choosing, doing, etc. ; hence, I say it is my nature to perceive, reason, feel, will, do. Moreover, I know that in most, if not all 26 The Fact of God. of these classes, or orders, my action is lim- ited^ and hence know that I am not only a causal power, but know that this order and limitation are imposed upon my actions, giving me the knowledge that I am de- pendent — dependent upon conditions. The persons may be few who logically define or describe this nature. Its various classes of action may not be clearly or similarly traced by different thinkers; nevertheless, all men alike have these classes of action, and know themselves as thus acting, and equally well experience the conditions which limit their action. Doubtless, all men equally well know them- selves as limited, dependent. Dependent being is the reality which I perceive. That there must have been a The Fact of God. 27 time when I did not exist; that there are places where I do not and can not exist; that I can not perceive anything except as conditioned by time or space; that my knowledge is limited to action within my- self and what is presented to me by sensa- tion; that my volitions are carried out by means of reaction and interaction with forces external to me, which condition their efficiency, I am forced to recognize in my knowledge of my own being. Limi- tation is as surely known to me as being. The order of my action, termed my na- ture, gives me, first, self -perception, or con- sciousness. This fixes my knowledge of individual identity. This individual iden- tity abides unmoved through all the changes of feeling and thought which I 28 The Fact of God. undergo, and all the varied sense-percep- tions and volitions I perform. Whatever changes have taken place in my physique, actions, feelings, or states of knowledge, this has remained unchanged. My deepest, clearest, and permanent perception of my being is as an individual unit. I perceive, also, in what is termed sense- perception, that there are activities, or forces, other than mine which affect me — that change my states of knowledge and modify my feelings and activities. These give sharp discrimination to myself as lim- ited by externality. Externality as here recognized is not an empty abstraction, such as the "non-ego'^ of Fichte, or the ^^not-me'' of certain other writers, but forces which impose upon me the knowledge of reaction The Fact of God. 29 and interaction — knowledge that I am acted upon. In some classes of my action I know my- self as simply recognizing and interpreting, but not originating tlie action recognized. For example, consciousness, or self-percep- tion, is but a recognition of the fact, my being; but the action which establishes and maintains the conditions of my being I do not perceive; it is not my action. I only perceive its effects in affording the con- ditions upon which my action arises. In sense-perception my action is simply recog- nizing and interpreting sensations of sight, sound, odor, taste, and touch. In reason I compare perceptions, note their likenesses and differences, and draw conclusions from such comparison. The act of comparing 30 The Fact of God. is my act, but tlie action which gives like- ness and difference to the things perceived, and fixes the forms in which I must know and compare them, is independent of me. In like manner the sense of moral author- ity is imposed upon me, sometimes much against my desire, yet my action regard- ing its rise within me is but that of recog- nition and interpretation. In all these modes of action I know myself as but recog- nizing and interpreting that which I do not posit or cause. Thus my nature is known by me as a self-evident effedy de- pendent upon forces which evince them- selves as other than I who recognize and interpret them. It is not claimed here that my inter- pretation of externality discovers the nature The Fact of God. 31 of the external, but simply the fact of its existence. But this fact is as directly known in my acts of recognition and in- terpretation as the fact of my being. The interpreting act is part of my action ; and the fact that I know this action is merely recognition and interpretation, fixes upon me the knowledge that I am in interaction with and dependent upon some external action which founds and environs me; hence, I know my nature is that of an individual^ hut dependent poiver. But, although the knowledge of myself is that of a dependent power, it alone gives me the general fact of existence. And it is impossible to take up the thought of existence without implying self-existence. ^OT do I derive this implied fact only as 32 The Fact of God. an inference from my own causal power, but it is directly given in the perceived fact of being; just as the fact of the other side of the moon — which man has never seen — is given in our perception of this side. The side we see is not the cause of the other side, nor caused by it, but is the perceived fact which it is impossible to think of with- out implying the fact of the other side. This side is a self-evident fact by percep- tion; the other a self-evident fact by neces- sary implication. But an apparent discrepancy arises now between two perceived facts ; namely, being and dependent beings to the atheist an im- passable gulf. But this discrepancy dis- appears as soon as we observe the implica- tions of these facts severally, I can not The Fact of Gou 33 "by any possibility entertain the general idea of existence without including in that idea a self-existent energy. Self-sustained existence is necessarily given in the general fact of existence. My direct knowledge of my being is that of simple self-existence, but it is contradicted by the further per- ception of my dependent nature. The implied fact of self -existence can not be gotten rid of any more than the implied fact of the other side of the moon, although I find by my dependence that I am not self -existent. I must concede action some- where which exists of itself and founds its own order of action. The self-perceived being, myself, whom I know as dependent, does not satisfy the fact of self-existence which is given with it. Though all limited 3 34 The Fact of God. beings stand alongside me, each knowing himself an acting reality, and though the number were indefinitely multiplied and the reality of their existence demonstrated to me, with the whole dependent universe added, yet all these fail to fill out the thought or supply the self-evident fact of self -existence which it is impossible to drop from the perceived fact of existence. Thus, though the being, myself, whom I directly perceive is dependent, the general fact of being, thus known, is impossible to thought without independence. The fact of inde- pendenty or self-existent^ heing is self-evi- dently given with my direct perception of the fact of heing. But the fact of dependence has its im- plied demands. Not only have I perceived The Fact of God. 35 the fact of being, but I perceive the fact that I am dependent. When the fact of my being is modified by the fact of de- pendence the question of the cause of my dependent existence is raised, and by the law of reason which demands a cause for every change I am forced to recognize a self-existent, or independent, power as the cause which gives rise to the fact of de- pendent being. The fact of my being is seen to be impossible without its depend- ence upon an independent being. Thus these two perceived facts, heing and de- pendencey severally, compel the recognition of independent action, or being. The first implies it as a fact given in the perception of being, as the perception of one side of an object carries with it the fact of the 36 The Fact of God. other side. The second by necessary in- ference, inasmuch as dependent existence must imply an independent cause upon which it depends. There is no difficulty in thinking of self- existence, when once the fact of any exist- ence is perceived ; it can not be avoided. We can not get rid of it. The real difficulty is to think how any being came to be. This ^^how'^ is impossible for us to solve, for the reason that, like the ^^how'^ of all bot- tom facts, it is outside the limits of human inquiry. But, however impossible it is to know how being is, the fact that it isy is the most unquestionable of all facts. A bright young girl in Sunday-school said to her teacher, "Somehow I do not get hold of the idea of an independent, or self -existent, being.'' The Fact of God. 37 The teacher replied, ^^Yoii are perfectly sure of your own existence ?^^ ^^I certainly am/^ ^'You are sure you are a dependent being?" ^^Yes, surely/' '^Can you get hold of the idea of the dependence of all being?'' ^'No; it is impossible." ^^Then, being must be independent some- where?" ^'Yes, certainly, I see the fact of being must, somewhere, stand alone, and that must be independent being." ^^Then, having the fact of being, given in your own being, it can not be doubted; and the implied fact of independent being, which can not be separated from it, is equally free from doubt?" 38 The Fact of God. "Yes, I see the fact of independent being is given in the simple fact of being, which I perceive in myself/^ "But, a little further. You say you are certain you are a dependent being ?'^ "I certainly am." "How do you know that fact?" "I perceive it in my nature." "But can you think of dependence with- out implying an independent upon which it finally depends?" "I can not." "Then you perceive two distinct facts, heing and dependence^ in each of which ap- pears the fact of independent being. In the first it is directly given, in the second implied as a cause." That I can not perceive the independent The Fact of Gob. 39 actor is nothing as against the fact of such, actor. I am unable to perceive any actor but myself. Hence, the implied fact of an independent being is not placed in doubt by my inability to perceive it. But, on the other hand, the implied fact, independent being, is all that can be thought from the two perceived facts; namely, my being and my dependence. Nor can either of these perceived facts be thought any more than the two jointly, without implying indepen- dent being as a third fact. This I must accept, or strangle thought at its birth. To a theistic conclusion the line of thought from this point is short, direct, and decisive. The perceived fact, being, and the perceived fact, dependent being, both imply the fact of an independent being; in- 40 The Fact of G OD. dependent being is perfectly self-determin- ing; self-determination is personality; and perfect, or independent, self-determination is perfect, or infinite, personality; hence, the independent is the perfect, infinite, or unconditioned person, God. This is not claimed to be a demonstra- tion; but is the implied fact of God as the only view possible to thought; and since it shuts us up to the alternative of accepting the fact of God or wholly renouncing thought, it has all the argumentative force of demonstration. We must resign thought and play the fool if we say there is no God. The atheist can adduce no evidence to prove there is no God, but he queries, What is the origin of God? But this is not the The Fact of God. 41 whole question. The real question is, ''How does being come to exist V^ To this question of liow, human thought can give no answer; yet the fact of being is the first, largest, and surest of all facts — a fact which we all perceive. This perceived fact has in it the implied fact which can not be gotten rid of, and mthout which the per- ceived fact of being is totally unintelligible; namely, that being is in some way self- existent, independent. I perceive the gen- eral fact, being, in perceiving myself, and this general fact can not be thought except as self-existent; yet it must be accepted because perceived — a Jcnown fact. As being is at some point or in some mode self -existent, it is independent; that is, unconditioned — and hence perfectly self- 42 The Fact of God. determined. Perfect self-determination is infinite freedom, infinite self-determina- tion; and this is an infinite person. Hence, atheism is not a question for de- bate. It has no standing ground in thought, but is renunciation of thought. Between the theist and the atheist the ques- tion must be, Thought or no thought — reason or folly? Thought, contemplating the fact, being, has self-existent, independ- ent being on its hands. The only way to get rid of it is to resign thought, abnegate reason. Agnosticism is the rejection of theism because God, as God, is not perceived by our senses. The blunder of agnosticism is in looking for this fact in the range of sense-perception instead of in the realm of The Fact of God. 43 implied fact. It overlooks that God is an unavoidably implied fact, forced upon reason by the perceived fact of being, and al^o by the perceived fact of dependence. It is objected: ^^You assume a self -ex- istent God. Why may we not assume, in- stead, the eternal existence of matter^ and that, in the long aeons of duration dis- turbances have arisen, by chemical influ- ences, originating action^ or generating force, which, in succeeding aeons, have evolved all present existing forces and phe- nomena?'' We answer: This adroitly-put query is made up of one false statement and five groundless assumptions, all making an unthinkable proposition. The false statement is that we assume God merely to account for existing phenomena. This 44 The Fact of God. is incorrect. This writer assumes nothing, and will accept nothing based upon as- sumption, but is compelled, by perceived facts and the requirements of reason, to accept God. The five ^ ^groundless as- sumptions" are: (1) The eternal existence of matter; (2) That matter is substance, or stuff; (3) That disturbance by chemical influences did or could arise in dead matter; (4) That these disturbances could originate action or create force; (5) That such ac- tion could evolve forces and phenomena not originally in it, especially life, self- consciousness, self-determination, abstract ideas, and conscience. Further, the whole proposition is impossible to thought, for the reason that matter is dependent, hence can not be thought as self-existent. That a de- The Fact of God. 45 pendent thing or person can be self-ex- istent is a contradiction. Again it is suggested: If we assume the eternal existence of matter and forcCy can we not account for all existing entities, forces, and phenomena? Yes; but to as- sume a force adequate to the case is to assume the independent actor identical with the God of theology, termed bj Spencer the "Unknowable;" that is, undiscoverable by physical science. Pantheism is not so readily disposed of, for the reason that it has apparently more ground than atheism or agnosticism upon which to stand. This is because pantheism seems implied in the fact of self-existence, which is given in the general fact of being perceived in myself, until I perceive that 46 The Fact of Gob. I am a dependent power; other than that upon which I depend. Th© burden rests upon the theist to show this. It must ap- pear that to God my action is objective, external, and this appears in my conscious- ness of individual personal identity, and of forming my intentions. Objection has been made to the idea of an infinite person. Spinoza first, in modern times, and finally Matthew Arnold, ad- vanced the criticism that the infinite is limited by regarding it as personal; that is, personality is necessarily finite, limited. But this is an oversight in this class of thinkers, an oversight which comes of re- garding the infinite as the aggregate of all things. This is the same as supposing there can be an infinite quantity, which suppo- The Fact of God. 47 sition is^ of course, absurd, and a contra- diction in terms. Quantity is identical with limitation, and to speak of an infinite made up of limited things is but a contradiction in terms. Another oversight into which these emi- nent thinkers have fallen is in regarding personality as quantitative. Their charge of anthropomorphism and f etichism against theists is because they suppose personality to consist in certain defined limits, per- sonal organization, physical or mental. Anthropomorphism, the conceiving of God as a man on a large or infinite scale, is cer- tainly a fatal notion in theology or philos- ophy when the personality of either God or man is supposed to consist in quantita- tive dimensions or qualitative degrees. 4:8 The Fact of God. Fetichism, the attributing life or persona) identity to material objects, orgaixic or in- organic, comes of the same quantitative idea of personality. N^or is there any rad- ical change in the idea as it exists in the mind of the child who strides the chair for throwing him dov/n: the Bushman, who worships his ^^gree-gree;'' the pantheist, who has the cosmos for his God; or the agnostic, who rejects a personal infinite lest personality may impose quantitative limita- tions upon the infinite. We can discrim- inate the infinite only as unconditioned action, absolute freedom. So, also, person- ality is not a quantity nor an organization of quantities; not a quality nor a collection of qualities, subject to degrees; but is purely a matter of original action. Size, The Fact of God. 49 weight, form, or physical organization can not make man a person. Neither does thought nor feehng. He may have all these, and still be a mere animal or ma- chine, if all his qualities are determined in kind and degree for him by some other power. But it is because man determines himself, in certain respects, that he is en- titled a person. He can surmount and throw off many of his limitations, if he choose, or can impose upon himself other or greater limitations; but in either case he originates his choice, and initiates the process by which he is determined upw^ard or downward in the scale of limitations. He alone forms his intentions. He may intend injury to others, but may be re- strained from effecting such injury; yet he 4 50 The Fact of God. affects and degrades himself by such in- tentions, which none else can prevent. He may develop or abuse his qualities of mind and body, and thus elevate or degrade his nature, while his free choice either way determines his character. That character, good or bad, reacts favorably or unfavor- ably upon his natural qualities, and so gives them higher uses or deeper abuses, as he may decide. Because of self-determination, man forms a character; and character is made up of those qualities, so determined, upon which men estimate human worth. Again, progress is that which is attained by individuals and communities, by compar- ing simple facts, and from these drawing conclusions. These conclusions, in turn, are compared, and from this comparison The Fact of God. 51 higher conclusions are drawn and acted upon. So sciences are built, governments are constructed and improved, culture is amplified, and progress in every way achieved by man's self-chosen use of him- self and his environment, and his self-de- termining power to transcend his ele- mentary conditions. Being a person, he is capable of rising from the limitations of savagery to the less limiting conditions of refinement; being a person, he can abuse the enhanced advantages of refinement, and thereby bring upon himself the limitations of a brute. Self-determination is personality. A mere thing which is determined in all re- spects by action external to it, as a grain of sand, a block of wood, or a graven image. 53 The Fact of God. is wholly without personality. Brutes, be- ing but creatures of impulse, volitionally, never devoting themselves to self -improve- ment, nor deemed blameworthy for lack of such devotement, likewise fall short of personality. Person is distinguished from thing or brute in being able to determine himself to be this or that in any or all respects. I am free to form my intentions and determine my character, but am lim- ited in resources from which to contrive or gain objects concerning which to choose and intend; and also limited in my instru- mentalities by which to realize intentions. But these limitations are simply like hedges around my personality; merely limited re- sources and instruments. In the use of such resources and instruments as I have The Fact of God. 53 1 am arbiter. In this respect I am free; without limit in the freedom of choice. Personal consciousness resides in self-de- termination. Hence, I am a person, and realize my personality, not in degrees and quantities, but in actual freedom in certain respects. But I am not a perfect or in- finite person for these reasons; namely, I am dependent for my existence ; I have not determined my own nature; have not ad- justed my environment, and am dependent upon forces external to me for my inter- action with all that is external to my con- scious power. In these respects I am an effect, and hence, a dependent, or finite, person. An infinite person is thought as one who determines himself in all respects; his nature, character, and choice of environ- 54 The Fact of God. ment are dependent in no respect. Inde- pendent action, or unconditioned action, however it may be phrased, is perfect, or infinite, self-determination; and since self- determination is personality, infinite self- determination is infinite personality. That independent action is unconditioned action is axiomatic. That the independent is an infinite person is the same as to say he is the unconditioned person. He has no characteristic of an effect other than what is self-imposed. Whatever he is, he is by his own self-determination, limited by no pre-existing conditions or principles. We hear, sometimes, of ^^etemal principles;" but there are no such things apart from the action of the Infinite Being. A prin- The Fact of God. 55 ciple is nothiing but an order or relation in actions established by the actor; without action or actor the principle vanishes. Moreover, we can discriminate nothing as infinite except self -determining power, nothing unconditioned but freedom, and all talk of anything being infinite except self- determining action and its qualities is but a jumbling of terms — a use of the word "infinite'' in merely the sense of "in- definite." The infinite can not be pictured to our imagination, nor in any way grasped by our minds, except by logically discrim- inating it as an independent actor, the per- sonal infinite. It is, therefore, impossible to think of independent action as other than personal self-determination, of primary be- ing as other than the Infinite Person. 56 The Fact of God. We close this chapter with this theistic formula: Perceived dependent being unavoid- ably implies independent being. Independent being is infinitely self-de- termining. Self-determination is personality, and in- finite self-determination is infinite person- ality. Hence, the perceived fact, my depend- ent being, unavoidably implies the Infinite Person, God. ''I am^ O God! cmd surety Thou must he.'' CHAPTEE II. THE SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION OF GOD. **If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness !'' "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." — Jesus. Mankind are slow to realize that mind^ soul, spirit, is all there is of this world that is of intrinsic worth. We are prone to estimate value by the standard of dol- lars and cents; size, by acres and sections; personal importance, by personal physique or circumstance ; and success, by office and emolument. Pleasure is sought in the ob- 57 58 The Fact of God. jects of sense, life is deemed honorable ac- cording to popular appreciation, and power is expected to leap from the bosom of pomp and bluster. The rise and fall of nations are credited to conquerors and kings, and the puppets in the foreground are wreathed and crowned as masters of the drama. But why seek the living among the dead? What are value, size, greatness, or success but the mind's imperial balances in which it weighs the worlds? What is pleasure but the soul's smile bestowed upon the ma- terial universe as it fawns at the footstool of mental majesty? And what is power but the spirit's mandate which the external leaps to obey? The rise and fall of nations are but incidents of the varying strife which rages upon the battlefields of mind. Spiritual Perception of God. 59 and peoples weep or shout as a conquering thought sweeps the field. It is not only to open the dark sayings of prophecy, or to divine the signs of times, but to know our race and understand the lessons of history that we must inquire in the temple of mind. To perceive the na- ture and magnitude of the mighty contro- versy between good and evil we must realize that God is a Person, and, for their good, seeks persons to worship him. Doubtless it was with this view that the greatest of preachers declared, "If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that dark- ness!" Human knowledge in its largest classifi- cation is of two origins, external and in- ternal. External knowledge comprehends 60 The Fact of God. all that we learn. The sources from which we learn it are four — the testimony of the senses, history, revelation, and the deduc- tions of reason. Internal knowledge com- prehends all our knowledge which we do not learn. This knowledge is bom in us, and arises as the activities of our nature may call it into use. Then it is directly perceived by consciousness, and because di- rectly perceived it is termed untaught or intuitional knowledge. Since it is born in us and spontaneously arises within us, as occasion may offer, it is universal — all man- kind have it; and it is uniform — ^all have it alike. But, to be more explicit, let us consider the leading facts contained in this inner knowledge: First, you are conscious of your Spiritual Perception of God. 61 own being. You knew this fact before you knew any one who could inform you of it. 'No one taught it you. It is the first fact of inner knowledge. Next to this fact, you perceive you are an individual, a unit; that you are not two or more persons, nor part of another person, but one self -discriminat- ing individual. This is the direct percep- tion of personal identity, conscious indi- viduality. It is the fact of individual self- consciousness which renders mankind un- able to find rest in pantheism — the doc- trine that would have us believe that we are parts of God, and that God and the uni- verse are all one. This fact, that we are each an individual being, is the rock upon which the craft of pantheism strikes and goes to the bottom. 62 The Fact of God. A third untaught but directly perceived fact is that of dependence — dependence upon other persons, forces, and things, which make possible our being and all its conditions. This fact brings with it the fact of an independent, self-existent being uj)on whom we depend. This fact, along with that of existence, as we saw in chap- ter first, renders it impossible to think one step further without accepting the fact of the independent person, God. This is the rock upon which the craft of atheism and agnosticism strikes and goes to the bottom. A fourth fact which we have known without teaching, and have practiced until some external restraint prevented an ex- ternal demonstration of it, is what we term forming or originating intentions. This is Spiritual Perception of God. 63 termed willing, or intendingj or choosing. However feeble the body, or restrained by outer persons or forces, we always feel that our inner intention is free. We intend as we please, whether we are able or not to carry it into external practice. This fact of freedom of intention is termed our will — a fact of which all are intuitively aware. It prevents mankind from resting content in the doctrines of necessitarian- ism^ — doctrines which, like pantheism, would shirk personal responsibility. This inner fact of individual freedom of in- tentions, choosing this or that of several motives, and consciously able to choose the contrary, is the rock against which the craft of necessitarianism strikes and goes to the bottom. 64 The Fact of God. A fifth fact of inner knowledge is that of a moral distinction between our inten- tions; that is, intending to be or do right or intending wrong. Mistaken judgment, which may lead to disastrous results, does not afifect one's character; but wrong in- tention does, even when not permitted to produce external results. Hence, this fact of moral distinction in the intentions under- lies what we term character, and is the foundation of all government. But it is vastly emphasized by another fact closely related to it; namely, a cer- tain authority which makes us feel that we ought always to intend right. One may not be blameworthy for judging wrongly or thinking inaccurately, yet we always feel, and we hold each other guilty for intend- Spiritual Perception of God. 65 iiig wrong. This authority does not and can not compel us to intend right. Nor can any power. But if we disobey this moral authority, we experience self-degra- dation and feel blameworthy. And we see that, for ourselves and all others, the only method of a blameless life and a noble character is that of constant obedience to this moral authority which spontaneously stands present to the consciousness of every sane human being. This is ordinarily termed "conscience," sometimes "moral sense," or, with the great philospher Kant, "the moral imperative." But no account of it has changed its nature from the two simple facts; namely, the simple inner sense and the independent authority which urges upon that sense its unvarying insist- 5 66 The Fact of God. ence upon righteousness and condemnation of evil. The most perfect human ear could not hear if there were no atmosphere, nor eye see without light; nor could the most sensitive soul feel the authority of moral obligation if there were no God. Here, then, in the human conscience we come upon the independent, just as, in the domain of being, we come upon the self- existent, and, in the realm of reason, the independent support of all dependent being. We have needed no argumentation to prove the fact of God. We can not get rid of him. All the argumentation against him has failed to crumble this invincible fact. As in Chapter I we saw that we must re- sign thought if we would be rid of this great fact, so, here, we must sink into utter Spikitual Perception of God. 67 brutality if we would be rid of the inde- pendent conservator of moral responsibil- ity. Here is the independent moral force which maintains the authority for righteous intention in each person, and has been the conservator of righteousness throughout human history, notwithstanding the uni- versal selfishness, treachery, and debase- ment of our race. It is not imposed upon men by men; not by the body, the desires, the reason, or institutions of man. These may all be cor- rupted. Physical appetite and passion may be besotted, the affections of the heart de- based, the reason bribed and perverted into the defense and belief of delusions and lies, but the conscience stands, in the midst of all this chaos of our nature, grim, pure, 68 The Fact of God. persistent, independent — the one undeviat- ing protestor against unrighteousness, as such, and the incorruptible, independent witness for holiness. No man, however foul his affections or perverted his judg- ment, ever brought himself to feel it his duty to be a bad man. This independent moral force insists upon cur being our best selves — not second best, but best. Hence, it is a call to all our knowledge and rational powers to form the best conception of what we ought to be and become. Such best conception is what is termed our ideal self, and conscience says we ought to bring our practical self up to the standard of this ideal self. And if we do this, or approximate it, we will make such a gain in moral strength and in en- Spiritual Perception of God. 69 largement of conceptions and elevated as- piration that our conception of what we ought to be and become will be enlarged, elevated, and chastened. And conscience will continue to urge our bringing our- selves up to this advanced ideal self. Thus the independent authority in us makes the ideal self the standard of the ordering and growth of the actual man. But I may picture to myself an ideal manhood to which I would gladly measure up in prac- tice, like the Stoics; but I could feel no obligation to measure up to it, nor con- demnation for neglect or failure to actual- ize it, if actual perfection exists nowhere, nor is nowhere accessible to my knowledge. And men would never dream of actualiz- ing an ideal self — leading a strictly right- 70 The Fact of God. eous life — but for the fact that its demand is pushed upon the conscience of each one of them by the actualized perfect one who provides the conditions of their dependent being. This moral imperative arises in the structure of the human soul v^ithout giv- ing any account of itself other than that it is the sentiment of that independent action which posits and maintains in men the con- ditions to their self-perfecting. Because of his actual perfection he alone is in the position to impose upon all finite souls what ought to be their self-determining inten- tions. And this sense of "oughtness" which conditions our intentions is but the pres- ence of the Perfect One. We are, and can not but be, imperfect in all respects save one, that of intentions. In this we Spiritual Perception of God, 71 may, and conscience says we ought to be perfect. It is the authoritative sentiment of perfect intention evincing in us the actual perfection of the Being upon whom our being depends. While St. John declares, ^^No man hath seen God at any time," yet an accommo- dated "presence" of the Deity is evinced by the one unmistakable characteristic; namely, independence. Whether, as with "cherubim and infolding flame," or en- veloping the bush "which was not con- sumed;" moving or resting as the mercy- seat and Shekinah ; teaching, working, lay- ing down life and taking it up again at will, with Jesus of Nazareth, or holding an invincible sentiment of righteousness present in every human conscience, he is 73 The Fact of God. the unmistakable Independent. Our free- dom of intention is conditioned by tbis in- dependent sentiment, which, though it may be neglected or temporarily ignored, can not be corrupted or abolished as can other conditions. It imposes the obligation of moral purity upon human intentions wherein those intentions pertain to self-de- termination, and imposes altruistic benevo- lence wherein our intentions pertain to other beings. To sum up, it is independent in that it can not be corrupted or modified. It is authoritative in that it imposes the author- ity of the ideal upon the actual. It is wholly moral in that it does not compel obedience, and pertains solely to the moral quality of intentions. It is practical in that Spiritual Perception of God. 73 personal innocence^ if obeyed, guilt, if dis- obeyed, result from its moral demands. It is holy in tbat it prompts to perfect inten- tion . It is benevolent in that it prompts each to benevolence towards others. It is iden- tical with the altruistic spirit in God in that it prompts to holiness and benevolence of in- tention in both self -determining and object- ive action. It is the "Holy Spirit/' in that harmony with its prompting implies the perfecting of individual character and the perfecting of the personal universe. Its authority is independent because it is the self-sustained sentiment of perfect being. It is the sentiment of God, the absolute imperative for all eternity. It is this fact, the Independent Presence in conscience, which makes it impossible 74 The Fact of God. for mankind to find rest in those forms of liberalism which would have ns indif- ferent to the behests of moral obligation, and hope for eternal happiness without moi'al regeneration. , This fact, which holds us directly responsible to God for our in- tentions and character, is the rock against which the craft of liberalism strikes and goes to the bottom. Thus it is seen that all thorough moral- ity — thorough because having an inde- pendent basis, and therefore affording a gen- uine standard of reform — and all true re- ligion — true because worshiping only the perfect and finding communion with the independent — take their rise in the great intuitional truths which are self-evident to all minds alike. Atheism, pantheism, Spiritual Perception of God, 76 agnosticism, necessitarianism, and liberal- ism, and their numerous subisms, are ^^fixed-up,'' chosen beliefs; plausibilities produced by minds who are either essen- tially superficial, or have not thought their problems through, or have a chosen prac- tice or theory to defend, or human specu- lations relying upon external learning — which must always be fragmentary — but all uniting in a common end; namely, to ab- solve men from responsibility to God for the purity of their motives, the rectitude of their intentions. And what more con- venient way is there to do this than to get rid of God? But human opinions change, external learning shifts its con-^ stantly accumulating data, and speculative or chosen beliefs follow each other rapidly y6 The Fact of God. to the tombs of dead issues, while the old truths, which all men know and feel, con- tinue to hold each person individually re- sponsible for his intentions and character on the changeless basis of the independent God; continue to afford the only known foundation for government of any kind, or a sufficient reason for distinguishing be- tween good and bad men, or for commend- ing the one or condemning the other. There is a way by which men may evade the force of these great subjective facts. I^Tot by canceling them, for that is self-de- struction; not by perverting or corrupting them, for that is impossible; but by divert- ing their attention from them by means of absorption in other and external pursuits. As one may acquire the habit of ignoring Spiritual Perception of God. 77 the roar of Niagara by fixing attention upon other things, so he may, by the con- stant attention to the business, pleasures, and cares of life, ignore the behest of con- science; or, by a life of mllful transgres- sion, harden his feelings against it. But Niagara roars on, and any circumstance that may direct the attention to its roar will make it seem as loud as ever. So, also, conscience is not dead nor asleep, but when circumstances shall direct attention to its demands, its authoritative sentiment of righteousness will be as independent and incorruptible as ever. ^^God is not mocked!" We see in this region of intuitional truth the conditions upon which faith spon- taneously arises. Seeing I am a person, 78 The Fact of God, conscious that I exist distinct from all other beings, free to form my intentions and thus determine my character, doing this in the presence of the independent Spirit of God, who stands present to my moral sense, I decide to acquiesce in the righteous senti- ment of God's Spirit, which holds I ought to intend and do righteously. I thus rely upon these inner facts, especially the moral imperative, and project my daily life ac- cordingly. This reliance is faith — faith in God — and he who thus orders his life is said to "walk by faith.'^ Or I may find, by knowledge of external affairs, that I can acquire great wealth, be- come famous, or have much pleasure by being dishonest, ambitious of worldly honor, or devoted to sinful indulgence. I Spiritual Perception of God. 79 decide to take this course, and, though I feel the condemnation of God in my con- science, I persist in it. This has been termed ^^walking by sight/^ Thus we see that faith arises upon our intuitional knowledge of the independent, and guides our life to- ward results that shall demonstrate its valid- ity by corroborating the truths from which it arises. The most majestic characters in history have illustrated its power to give strength and moral purity to the human spirit, notwithstanding their disadvantages of limited learning. Hypothesis is something assumed to be true, and by that assumption accounting for, or explaining, something which can not otherwise be explained. For example. Sir Isaac Newton assumed the law of the at- 80 The Fact of God. traction of gravitation, and proceeded to account for the structure and harmony of the spheres, and, indeed, much pertaining to all material things. Nothing seems to have been discovered v^hich does not har- monize with this assumption, but much has been discovered by working in line with it; hence, so completely does this assump- tion of the attraction of gravitation account for everything to which it relates, that it is termed, not only a working hypothesis, but a law of nature. Evolution is an as- sumption by which physical transformation, from primordial fire-mist, through various stages up to the highest development of man, has been evolved. But it has so many breaks, and requires so many guesses neces- sary to iU application, it has not been uni- Spiritual Perception of God. 81 versally accepted among scientists as more than an hypothesis. But faith assumes nothing, but has God as a fact of which we can not be rid — a fact independent and righteous- — a fact upon which it acknowl- edges moral responsibility, seeks the subjec- tion of the affections, propensities, desires, and will — the whole man and all he does — to that ideal life which conscience main- tains. In other words, the man of thorough faith not only holds himself responsible di- rectly to God for his intentions in all things, but seeks to bring all his force and feel- ings into such harmonious submission to God as will render him capable of pure in- tentions. And when we consider the uni- versal selfishness of man and the stubborn persistence of selfishness in the affections 6 82 The Fact of God. of each person, we can see what a revolu- tion is contemplated by faith — a revolution which, if it succeed, is nothing short of a demonstration of faith — not an hypothesis, but a demonstrated law. This brings us to face the question, Does the faith-life gain a response from God which confirms the de- mands of conscience? To believe in the existence of God as the true solution of existing phenomena is simply a philosophy. One can hold such a belief without being in the least relig- ious. The belief that the God worshiped is aware of that worship, cares for it, and responds to it with evident sympathy and aid for the worshiper, is the real and es- sential basis of religion. The effectual faith, which is a true coming unto God, Spiritual Perception of God. 83 believes, not only that he is, but is *^a Re- warder of them who diligently seek him/' This is religion. This is an active, prac- tical acceptance of the moral authority of conscience, and resigning of all the sus- ceptibilities and powers of our nature to its dominance. Hence, our query is, does this self-subjection to the sovereignty of God in conscience result in relief, help, moral purifying, and strength to the person, and in such a way as to make him know that the change is dependent upon his faith? Does the soul, conscious of its guilt for wrong-doing, wrong-intending, selfish- ness, become conscious of passing from known condemnation by conscience to a consciousness of relief from that condemna- tion? In the effort to repent of sin, to re- 84 The Fact of God. nounce selfishness, to seek a love of right- eousness, to attain a desire for the holy — in a word, to love God — does he find help by worshiping God? Does he become con- scious of moral purifying, and of moral strength to hate selfishness, to dread sin, resist temptations thereto, to rise above his former vices, and ultimately overcome his former evil habits? Do numbers of such worshipers improve society, make property, life, and reputation safer? Does the ex- tending of such a religion in the world make individual character of greater value, soften and subdue the ferocity of human selfishness, improve civilization, increase in- dustry and amplify the resources of men and nations, and promote the dignity, kind- liness, and happiness of mankind? Spiritual Perception of God. 85 An afBrraative answer to all these inter- rogatories is the common voice o£ both biography and history. The records of ancient times tell ns of those who by faith ^^obtained a good response," received moral strength to endure unspeakable persecu- tions, perform prodigies of moral courage and power, and build splendid nationalities, and give new and better direction to human affairs. A sensual and blood-guilty king, conscience-smitten, bewails himself before God, crying, ^^Create in me a clean heart,'^ and, continuing in supplication until his natural sensibilities, by a faith-prompted self-renunciation^ are subjected to the be- hest of conscience, he becomes conscious of pardon and a change of heart, which led 86 The Fact of God. him to place on record his experience in such glowing words as these: ** Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord im- puteth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile. AVhen I kept silence, my bones waxed old Through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: My moisture was changed as the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord ; And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." The history of faith, in all its- essentials, is virtually the same in all human experi- ence. The variances are in the means and motives which incite to faith, and the de- Spiritdal Perception of God. 87 gree or depth to which men permit its work to go in their characters and practice. Under the teachings and deeds of Christ, the natural incitements to faith were re- affirmed, and instigation to the deepest spiritual experiences of God's independent judging, pardoning, and purifying presence were superadded. Electricity existed be- fore Adam just as it does now; but, by our increased knowledge and the exigencies of our times, we have been led to an experi- ence of its presence where little suspected, and of vast utilities, delights, and spec- tacular splendors of which it is capable. Once regarded with only terror and awe, it has now come to ^^aid our infirmities.^' Similarly, Christ brought men to under- stand that the independent authority of God 88 The Fact of God. in conscience was present, not only to afford an absolute standard of moral purity, but to help men to rise to peaceful experience of harmony with that standard; and more, to find such emotional tranquillity and en- thusiastic sympathy with conscience as to recognize the personality and companion- ship of God, and find ourselves able to love him supremely. After such teaching, act- ing, and living among men as evinced the personal presence and sympathetic love of God for sinners, Christ told them it was expedient for them that he go away, in order that they, by continuing in prayer, in his name, might be able to exercise a faith sufficiently deep and spiritual to seek God with the supreme object of gaining moral purity in their deepest affectional nature ; LofC. Spi^^itual Perception of God. 89 a faith that did not seek any object of selfish ambition or desire, no continuance of Christ among them as a mighty Healer, Teacher, or prospective Jewish King, but a faith which should seek God as the con- demning Judge of sin and the loving Savior of sinners, whose kingdom is within us. Under this instigation, now seeking the pure spirituality of religion, his followers continued in prayer and supplication until their hearts and minds were brought to a state of faith which was complete sub- servience of the practical to the ideal char- acter. Then and there they recognized the inner kingdom ; the Spirit of God witnessed with their spirits that they were children of God. Then and there, on the notable day of Pentecost, in the city of Jerusalem, 90 The Fact of God. the Christian faith was demonstrated by meiij to continue as the common faith of the Church through all time. It was one of the Beatitudes which Christ had preached, ^'Blessed are the pure in hearty for they shall see GodJ^ It is not to be ignored, much less de- nied, that thousands upon thousands of people bearing the Christian name have lived anything but morally pure lives. That fact needs no denial nor calls for defense. Moreover, many who are sincere in their faith, so far as it goes, fall short of the full realization of the pure heart which perceives God. But this is because of defective teaching, or a weak faith, which, though sincere, does not go far enough to apprehend the Spirit's witness. Spiritual Perception of God. 91 Satisfied with the glory which proclaims the moral purity and sovereignty of God — the glory which condemns them, which condemnation they, with the devout Jew, meekly acknowledge by a theoretic belief and chastened conduct — they hence fail to pass over from the ^^glory of condemnation'' to "the greater glory" of the children of God, who have attained to the filial feel- ing, "the spirit of adoption/' A faith which prompts a repentance which digs down through every stratum of selfish thought, intent, affection, desire, and pro- pension, and rests only upon the independ- ent Eock of Ages, is full Christian faith. But it is the distinctively Christian faith unto a pure heart that sees God which has moved the world in its grand strides to- 92 The Fact of God. ward ideal character and society. Such it was that commonly characterized the Chris- tians of the first three centuries after Christ. Of these Christians, Pliny, a Roman gover- nor under Trajan, wrote to his emperor that it was futile to persecute and murder the Christians ; for such was their love of Christ and of his cause and people that they would gladly accept persecution and death. To use his own language, "Givo them a chance to die for their faith, and they will run like sheep to the slaughter." Such was the faith of Paul, John, Peter; and of Luther, Wesley, Whitefield, and I&aox. And such is the faith which sus- tains thousands of inconspicuous men and women who, amid the vast time-serving and self-seeking of our day, are maintaining Spiritual Perception of God. 93 what the world most needs; namely, the demonstration that Christian faith actually saves sinners from the guilt, love, and power of sin. That there is any doubt of this, at this late day, is due to the godless lives of vast numbers of members and min- isters of the Christian denominations. Those who are members of the Church for thrift or social jDosition, or as accepting hereditary religious prejudices, or indeed, for any reason other than salvation from sin, are frauds upon the faith, and only increase the doubt of the unsaved millions as to the genuineness of all Christian pro- fession. But, notwithstanding so many are content with the tincture, but reject the essence of Christian faith, that faith is lift- ing and sustaining millions of sincere peo- ple by the demonstration of the Spirit and 94 The Fact of God. the power of self -conquest. Moreover, their life and work have changed the public senti- ment of the world from rapine and plunder to benevolence and charity; insomuch that in the last century vastly more persons and moneys and time have been employed in simply doing good than in all the preceding ages of the world. Mankind are coming to see that love, the divine nature, is the great force which is working out the prob- lem of a free universe. Thus the fact of the independent, or per- fect, person, which is given in the fact of being, and implied in the fact of the de- j)endence of the universe, appears, in con- science, as Judge, and in the results of faith, as Helper, Savior, and Father to all who subject their affections and conform their lives to the fact of Ood. OCT 16 1901 Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process Neutralizing agent: IVIagnesium Oxide Treatment Date: July 2005 PreservationTechnologiej A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATiOl 1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township. PA 16066 (724)779-2111 fiTi^f ">> LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 477 246 5 ■■•,■■.■>; I m js f I •,'>v c:--^s;3!i ^^^■^*' l^jii